Friday, December 5, 2008

Basically, Sahib Bibi aur Ghulam is a classic Indian film, based on the book by Bimal Mitra. It was India's entry for the Oscars in 1963 and stars Meena Kumari (in one of her most famous roles) as a drunken rich house wife in the province of Bengal during the end of the 1800's.

Initially, I got this album for two songs. The first, and my favorite, "Piya Aiso Jiya Men" is simply a classic Geeta Dutt song that I love. The second is "Sakhiya Aaj Mujhe Neend Nahi Aayegi", beautifully sung by Asha Bhosle and wonderfully picturised by Guru Dutt on the lovely Meenu Mumtaz (Minoo Mumtaz).

It's always a pleasure to hear Geeta Dutt, and on the record you sadly don't get her vocal intro to the song "Chale Aao, Chale Aao" which is in the film (and can be heard in the clip). ButGeeta Dutt was most famous for the song "Piya Aiso Jiya Men", as the caracter heartbreakingly calls out to her neglecting husband.

I also enjoy the playful "Bhanwara Bada Nadan" picturised on Waheeda Rehman. But every song on the album has its own charm and I am sure everyone would like one, at the least.

On the back of the record the song titles are translated, so I wrote them down below each one. Enjoy!

I just learned that the film is supposed to be remade, by Rituparno Ghosh starring Salman Khan, Priyanka Chopra and John Abraham(I posted the poster just below.) I don't know? a classic is a classic, I wouldn't have remade it, especially with poptart actors, well it's their chance to prove that they can act, and I hope they succeed.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

PC and I decided to post this album at the same time, on the same day. (Though I thought it was supposed to be posted at 9 pm, when it was actually 9 am, sorry). I don't know if he liked the record, but I kind of did. (To read what he thought see the post, Hawas)

Hawas creates great atmosphere. But even though it runs in the same vein as the 1973 hits Bobby and Yaadon Ki Baaraat, Hawas is less pop and a little more "soft funk". Or, at the least, it creates a more mature branch of the 1970's teen romance/dramas anyway. Also, Hawas, means "lust"in hindi, so in a sense the music has to be more mature to represent the theme and content of the film.

Usha Khanna is one of the only female music directors in the Indian film industry (some others are Saraswati Devi, Jaddan Bai (Nargis's mother) and Ishrat Sultana). She started her career with Dil Deke Dekho in 1959 which was primarily based on western rock'n'roll, and as with Hawas, though now in the 70's, she remaines inspired by western music but certainly had evolved with the changing times.

The best songs on the record are the "vamp songs" sung by Asha Bhosle. You have "Aao Yaro Gao", that has to be my favorite on the album for "semi bad girl" Rekha, and for the classic bad girl Bindu ,"Apne Dil Men Jagah Dijiye" is ok but I actually like the intro better then the song itself.

For the rest of the tracks, "Yeh Hawas Kya Hai" (Again, an amazing intro and great mood) is pretty good,"Teri Galiyon Men" is ok and "Kal Raat Usne" is nothing special.

Stella_1

Welcome to my first blog, I have a small collection of Bollywood records, and I would like to share them with all the music lovers out there. So have fun, hate it, love it , put your hands on your ears or dance the night away, whatever you do, you can always complain or praise the sounds on Parties, Sarees and Melodies.

Stella_1's score

5/5: The best record on earth4.5/5: All the songs are very good4/5: Most of the songs are really good3.5/5: Good3/5: O.K.2.5/5: No good songs, but listenable2/5: Bad1.5/5: Really Bad1/5: Never listening to that again0.5/5: It hurts my ears0/5: I can't even call it music